PDF server: 404 and File does not begin with '%PDF-'

[Michael]

I'm running Enterprise on a Linux (RH Ent 5) box. Just installed the PDF app per the directions ("auto" install). Then I scheduled a PDF delivery. My email said:

"An error occurred while generating a PDF of this report: Failed to generate PDF: Appserver got a 404 response while contacting the PDF server at /services/pdfserver/renderpdf - Check that the PDF Server app is installed and that reportServerURL is correct"

In the config, the URL is blank, per the instructions ("Leave blank to use a local PDF server").

Back in the System Settings, Email Settings -- I try clicking on status page (to generate a test page, I presume) -- it passes all the tests ("true, true, true..."), then opens Adobe Reader (8.2.2) with an error box of:

File does not begin with '%PDF-'

Thanks in advance!

[kstocks]

You may be missing essential firefox components on your linux server.

(apt-get install firefox) or equiv. for your flavor of linux (this fixed this for me).

Also - is your Splunk instance running as http or https? If you are using https, you MUST use a valid SSL cert, or you'll just end up in "certificate is not valid" hell. 🙂

Gary

[rroberts · Accepted solution]

PDF server will make a HTTP call to whatever host you have listed in ‘hostname’. If that hostname doesn’t resolve (to itself, in this case), then the generic URL error is displayed. Try entering a hostname in the PDF server box.

[Hazel]

hello, could you let me know what exactly you typed in the box to fix this? How do i know what the url should be for my hostname?

[Michael]

That was it!

I could have sworn I originally had that in there, then took it out while trouble-shooting.

Oh well, in any case, I put it back in and now it's working.

Thanks Roberts...

[rroberts]

I know you probably did this but just to check did you install Xvfb and xauth as mentioned here? http://www.splunk.com/base/Documentation/4.1.1/Installation/ConfigurePDFprintingforSplunkWeb

[Michael]

Yes, sir!
"On Redhat/CentOS/Fedora, type: yum install Xvfb xauth"
Maybe I'll try a manual install and see what happens...